The Recital of Aria Black
by Windblown Wallflower
Summary: This is the story of Aria Black the illegitimate child of Sirius Black.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that J.K. Rowling thought of and everything that she didn't I'm responsible for.

**Beta:** pinkrose14

**A/N:** Ok everyone this is the story is going to be my second forerunner though it will probably be nowhere near as long as Finding Family. I think from now on I will work on one crossover and one non-crossover in tandem. So once this is finished I will start working on another HP. In fact I should probably take a look at all the stuff I have on hiatus. I will probably get around to one of these days, unless I'm jumped by rabid plunnies.

* * *

Six weeks after the Hogsmeade Date

Alma stared at the potion in front of her with dismay. She had been feeling sick lately and kept making repeated trips to the bathroom that often ended with her losing whatever meal she had just eaten. A vague suspicion had begun to form in her mind one she had ignored for weeks before she decided to just disprove her silly notion. Alma was now staring at the confirmation and she felt a pit full of dread settle in her stomach. She was pregnant. She knew who the father was, of course, and could have cursed herself for letting that silly boy talk her into it. She should have known better. Now look where she was, pregnant with Sirius Black's child. She could always abort the child it would be fairly easy to do. Her arms unconsciously wound around her stomach at the thought. But accident or not the child growing inside her was an innocent; she could not bring herself to end a life so callously.

She needed help. She could not handle this on her own but she had to be careful who she trusted with this information. Thinking on it she knew who she needed to find she just hoped he forgave her. They'd had a blazing row once he found out that she would be going to Hogsmeade with Sirius Black. He'd told her it was a huge mistake and that she would end up doing something that she would greatly regret. She had ignored him and refused to listen to the part of herself that agreed. He had been right as always.

Alma raced towards the library hoping that he was still there. He was going to hate her but there was no one else she trusted to go to, as her only other friend did not even attend Hogwarts. Alma was supposed to meet him in the library anyways so that they could work on their potions homework together. Despite their differences, Alma found they had much in common. He would be able to help her. That thought in mind she continued to sprint towards the library. A few minutes later she was at the library, and slowed so Madam Pince would not throw her out. She immediately headed towards a table in the far back hidden behind several shelves of books.

"Reg!" she shouted as she spotted him.

"Hello Alma." said Reg pleasantly. She smiled at him noticing once again how similar yet different he was from his brother, where Sirius was cocky, loud, and brash; Reg was confident but quiet and refined. There resembled each other greatly in appearance though Alma thought Reg the more handsome of the two. She knew that while Reg had a rocky relationship with his brother Reg still cared about Sirius in his own way. Much like her own relationship with her elder sister which had been one of the cementing points in their friendship. If she had not known the younger Black better she would have thought he had been jealous but their relationship was strictly platonic on his end. She also knew that was more inclined towards the home team, a secret that only she knew.

She also knew he was rather enamored with one of his fellow snakes and she had taken every opportunity to force the two of them together. Her efforts had mostly been in vain as all her work had done was earned the animosity of one Severus Snape. The boy avoided her like the plague after one particularly disastrous attempt where she had trapped both boys under a piece of mistletoe. Reg had not talked to her for week, but it had been worth it, as Reg had finally been able to snog the acerbic fifth year. Reg had then paid her back which resulted in a public profession of her undying love to Snape in the Great Hall. Snape took great pains to avoid her ever since, to her great dismay.

"Reg, you're not claustrophobic right?" asked Alma, looking at the bookshelves around them and completely ignoring his bemused expression. She then removed her wand from her pocket and waved it at the bookshelves. After a few complex movements the bookcases had expanded, hiding them from view. Alma also added a few privacy charms to make sure they were not overheard.

"Madam Pince will not be pleased." Reg said dryly, eying Alma's handy work.

"Yes well I doubt she'll notice for a while, besides I have slightly more important things to worry about then detention. There's a mild compulsion charm around us that should keep people away for a while anyways" Alma said agitatedly.

"So I take it you wish to discuss something privately." Regulus said wryly.

"Yes you remember the row we had over me dating your brother? Well you were right." Alma said without preamble.

"I knew that but it does wonders for my ego to hear you admit it, though I doubt that is the reason for all the secrecy." Regulus said and he quirked his eyebrow at Alma.

"I'm pregnant" she said. Then she cupped a hand over her mouth and stared at her best friend who looked absolutely stunned. She hadn't met to blurt it out quite like that but she had been so nervous. She fidgeted slightly as she watched Reg's gobsmacked expression shift into one of slight incredulity.

"You are pregnant. I'm assuming that my wayward brother is the father." Regulus stated.

"Yes. Oh, Reg what am I going to do?" asked Alma.

"I don't know but we'll think of something." Regulus replied, grasping Alma's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was one of the few time he tried to comfort her physically and she was grateful for it.

"Thank you." Alma said gratefully.

"No need to thank me. The baby is going to be my niece or nephew after all." said Regulus.

"Yes well I have no idea what I'm going to do. I won't be able to hide my condition for long." Alma said.

"Well I gather that you do not want to get rid of the child. So we will have to get you out of Hogwarts. Several students have been withdrawn lately due to the war. It will not be strange for you to leave as well as long as we think of a plausible excuse." Regulus said.

"That's true the war has been escalating lately. Oh, Reg what are you going to do? I know that your parents support him, but if half the things said about him are true." Alma said staring at her friend in horror. She knew that his parents supported the pureblood regime and wanted Regulus to become one of Voldemort's minions. Regulus did not really care for it, but all his parents expectations fell to him as his brother had reneged his duties.

"I will worry about it later for now we should focus on the situation in front of us." Reg said calmly, though Alma caught the sliver of worry that crossed his eyes at the mention of the war.

So the two sat to together and began to plot in ways that only a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw could manage. They sat in their magically hidden corner for hours working out several different details and backup plans. There were a few arguments over the course of their discussion which they eventually worked out. It was not until well past curfew that they had finally managed to work out a plan that satisfied both of them to some extent. They snuck to their respective dormitories after returning their corner to its original state.

Alma's mind was ablaze with worry as she went over the plan again in her head. A yawn escaped her and she decided to finish her thoughts after a good night's sleep. She found her way back to her dormitory without incident, and soon found herself in front of the familiar knocker.

"Give me food and I will live; give me water and I will die. What am I?"

"Fire" Alma answered after a few seconds thought. The door swung open and she climbed inside eager to get to her dormitory. It had been a long day and her troubles were not over yet.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Belongs to J.K. Rowling

**Beta:** pinkrose14

**A/N:** Alright, I think I've finally started to get a better handle on this story. There will only be a few more chapters until we finally get to Aria's birth. There will also be some more time skips. I don't want Aria to be just another OC, but a character in her own right, and I just hope that I can pull it off.

* * *

_The Next Day_

Alma had woken up and gone to breakfast early. Thankfully it was a weekend and she would not have to attend classes today. She didn't think she'd be able to handle classes in light of her recent discovery. After spending yesterday planning with Reg and then most of the night going over their plans she was not in a note-taking frame of mind. She smiled as she remembered how Reg often remarked that she had been sorted into the wrong house. She didn't really blame him as she wasn't like most of the other Ravenclaws, but it was the house that suited her best. She then pulled her thoughts back to the present. As right now she needed to concentrate on the problems at hand. She was going to head to the owlery immediately after breakfast.

She would be sending a letter to her old nanny Delfina and one to Cal Everett. After some debate Alma and Reg had decided it would be safest to for her to stay with Delfina for the duration of the pregnancy. Cal Everett, the cousin of a close friend, worked at the Ministry. He would be forwarding a few letters for her though she had not disclosed their contents (as a few of them were slightly illegal). One of the letters would be rerouted back to the school for Dumbledore himself. It held the tragic news of her cousin Rhea Grinder's untimely demise at the hands of Voldemort's forces. The letter would then add that Alma was to be removed from Hogwarts immediately with explicit directions from her parents. It was a complete hoax, one that would certainly fool even Dumbledore. Hopefully.

That night she would be flooing to Delfina's where she would reside for the next nine months. The old woman had retired after Alma's acceptance to Hogwarts, and had no ties to the Santiago family other than Alma. Delfina had been brought into the Santiago household by Alma's mother who died in childbirth. Alma knew that Delfina was now living in a small cottage near Wicks from the letters they exchanged. She would be flooing there later today if all went according to plan.

"Good morning Alma. Have you finished the essay that McGonagall assigned us?" Mina Chang asked.

Alma nodded absently in response. It was a standard Ravenclaw greeting.

"Morning, Santiago. Have you started revising for NEWTs yet?" Robert Davies asked.

Alma nodded again. Another standard greeting, one that was common among Ravenclaw seventh years. It was with a slight start that she realized she would not be taking her NEWTs with her classmates. It seemed slightly insignificant in light of everything else. Then again she had never really been all that concerned with NEWTs in the first place. They were important of course, but nothing to lose her head over.

"You seem distracted" Mina noted.

"Well spotted" Alma said sarcastically, and added as she got up from the table, "I must be going I have a few things I must attend to in the library."

A very Ravenclaw excuse, truthfully she could stand neither Chang nor Davies. Both were ignorant twats that ended up in Ravenclaw by sheer dumb luck. Well that last part may not be strictly the pair tried her nerves beyond all reason. She was just glad Edgecombe was not with them, as the three together were a nightmare. She hurried to the owlery her task firmly in mind.

When she arrived she saw Reg stringing a letter to a regal looking screech owl. He turned to greet her and she saw that he there were bags under his eyes that no doubt mirrored her own. Despite that he looked quite alert something she rather envied. Even after drinking copious amounts of coffee she still felt quite sluggish.

"Morning, Alma. I have already sent the necessary papers as well as my usual greeting to my parents." Reg stated.

"Good. I'm sending the rest now." Alma said as she tied her bundle of letters to a sturdy looking barn owl.

"Remember to meet me back in the library before dinner. And you must hurry." Reg said solemnly.

"Reg are you sure that—?" Alma started, but Regulus cut her off. He looked far more serious than she had ever seen him.

"This has to be done, for my safety, your safety, and the baby's safety. I will be inducted into his ranks as soon as I turn sixteen. That's just over a year away." Reg said firmly.

"Perhaps there is another way you do know occlumency I'm certain that you are more than capable of fooling him." Alma said.

"It's a risk, one I'm not willing to take. The dark lord is a master legilimens and only a master occlumens would be able to fool him. I have only been taught enough that I can keep some of the amateurs out." Regulus stated.

"If only things were different, you should be worrying about completing your OWLs and normal things. I shouldn't have been so irresponsible." Alma said sadly.

"Yes well even if your situation were different mine, sadly, wouldn't change. Perhaps this is all for the best." Reg said turning away from Alma. She watched sadly as he walked away knowing full well that after tonight she may never see him again. She walked from the owlery not paying much attention to where she was going. She was slightly surprised when she found herself in front of the aged wood door that led to her dormitory. She reached out and knocked once.

Seconds later the raven's beak opened and the familiar melodious voice asked, "At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. Of what do I speak?"

"Stars" Alma answered. Her mind focused on her star, which was on a collision course with a black hole named Voldemort. There was nothing she could do to help him and it was heartbreaking. If only he weren't so stubborn.

The door swung open and Alma climbed the stairs to the girl's seventh year dorms. She was relieved to see that it was empty. Her peers were no doubt in the library reviewing for their NEWTS which were still six months away. She went to her trunk and pulled out a thick black leather-clad album. She ran her hand over the cover smiling gently as it opened with her touch as she had charmed it to do. She flipped through several page. She stopped at a picture with a younger Alma smiling at a surly boy with hot pink hair. She was pulling him along by his arm while the boy tried to free himself from her grasp to no avail.

A rather innocuous first meeting but unforgettable nevertheless. Alma smiled reminiscently as she thought back to that day. It was a few days after the start of term and she had gotten into a minor tiff with her dorm mates. She left the room and took a walk to cool her head. That was when she first met Regulus Black the poor boy had been jinxed by his brother. She had laughed at first after all it was quite humorous seeing a boy sporting pink hair. Noting his distressed expression she had immediately dragged the boy to one of Hogwarts more secluded areas. Once they had some privacy she had quickly countered the charm, reverting his hair to its normal color. It turned out to be the start of a beautiful yet odd friendship. She did not mind that he was two years younger and in Slytherin and he mostly ignored her various quirks. A few weeks after their friendship began she met Reg's older brother. Her first meeting with Sirius Black had been, volatile at best. She had caught him about to curse Regulus to which she returned in kind. From that point forward she detested Sirius Black and friends on principal.

As the years passed she and Regulus shared many secrets and bonded over their cavalier siblings. Their friendship became stronger. Their friendship was for the most not public knowledge as both Alma and Regulus were fairly private people. Most of their time was spent in secluded parts of the castle where there was no fear of being overheard. They also studied in the library fairly often which led to the belief that Alma was Regulus' tutor. A rumor that neither bothered to discourage. While friendships between Ravenclaws and Slytherins weren't uncommon they were subject to much gossip. Neither Alma nor Regulus wanted to deal with the scrutiny of their peers so they let the tutoring rumors persist.

Alma found herself nursing a crush on her best friend in her fifth year. It was a ridiculous notion and for several reasons, first he was two years younger than her, two he was as straight as the headmaster, and three he was her best friend. She tried to divert these feelings a she knew they would only end in heartbreak, especially when she realized that Reg had his own case of unrequited love. So she tried to put her energies with getting Reg with his crush. It did not work. Somewhere along the way she found herself looking at the elder Black instead. Which led to her current situation, it would have been better if she had continued to pine after Reg.

Alma startled when she heard the door slam open and she watched as Gina Edgecombe ran in. Edgecombe opened her trunk and rummaged around a bit before pulling something out and running back out. Alma cast a quick tempus and was alarmed to see that it was a half hour till dinner. She had been so enraptured with her thoughts and memories she didn't realize how much time had passed. She needed to meet Regulus in the library. With a heavy heart, Alma found herself trudging towards the library. She was absolutely dreading what she was about to do. It was the one part of the plan that she had argued against most strenuously, but her pleas had been ignored.

"Hello Regulus" Alma said. She was in the library once again staring at the boy she was hopelessly in love with. She hadn't realized just how deep her feelings ran until after the Sirius Black fiasco. She had spent the entire time wishing it was the younger Black instead. And now as she looked at him she felt like her heart was breaking into a thousand little pieces.

"You haven't called me that since second year." Regulus remarked wryly.

"Yes, well I thought the situation called for some formality." Alma said. She attempted a grin but it felt more like a grimace.

"It doesn't really matter. Don't blame yourself I planned for this to happen anyway. It's what is best. Thank you for doing this" Regulus said.

"I'm sorry" Alma said. Her hand was shaking as she pulled her wand out and leveled it at Regulus.

"Do it" Regulus said. Staring at her wand with determination.

"Obliviate" Alma said softly.

* * *

**A/N:** My first intentional cliffhanger did I manage it all right?

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Belongs to J.K. Rowling

**Beta:** pinkrose14

**A/N:** Alright, I think I've finally started to get a better handle on this story. There will only be a few more chapters until we finally get to Aria's birth. There will also be some more time skips. I don't want Aria to be just another OC, but a character in her own right, and I just hope that I can pull it off.

* * *

_The Next Day_

Alma had woken up and gone to breakfast early. Thankfully it was a weekend and she would not have to attend classes today. She didn't think she'd be able to handle classes in light of her recent discovery. After spending yesterday planning with Reg and then most of the night going over their plans she was not in a note-taking frame of mind. She smiled as she remembered how Reg often remarked that she had been sorted into the wrong house. She didn't really blame him as she wasn't like most of the other Ravenclaws, but it was the house that suited her best. She then pulled her thoughts back to the present. As right now she needed to concentrate on the problems at hand. She was going to head to the owlery immediately after breakfast.

She would be sending a letter to her old nanny Delfina and one to Cal Everett. After some debate Alma and Reg had decided it would be safest to for her to stay with Delfina for the duration of the pregnancy. Cal Everett, the cousin of a close friend, worked at the Ministry. He would be forwarding a few letters for her though she had not disclosed their contents (as a few of them were slightly illegal). One of the letters would be rerouted back to the school for Dumbledore himself. It held the tragic news of her cousin Rhea Grinder's untimely demise at the hands of Voldemort's forces. The letter would then add that Alma was to be removed from Hogwarts immediately with explicit directions from her parents. It was a complete hoax, one that would certainly fool even Dumbledore. Hopefully.

That night she would be flooing to Delfina's where she would reside for the next nine months. The old woman had retired after Alma's acceptance to Hogwarts, and had no ties to the Santiago family other than Alma. Delfina had been brought into the Santiago household by Alma's mother who died in childbirth. Alma knew that Delfina was now living in a small cottage near Wicks from the letters they exchanged. She would be flooing there later today if all went according to plan.

"Good morning Alma. Have you finished the essay that McGonagall assigned us?" Mina Chang asked.

Alma nodded absently in response. It was a standard Ravenclaw greeting.

"Morning, Santiago. Have you started revising for NEWTs yet?" Robert Davies asked.

Alma nodded again. Another standard greeting, one that was common among Ravenclaw seventh years. It was with a slight start that she realized she would not be taking her NEWTs with her classmates. It seemed slightly insignificant in light of everything else. Then again she had never really been all that concerned with NEWTs in the first place. They were important of course, but nothing to lose her head over.

"You seem distracted" Mina noted.

"Well spotted" Alma said sarcastically, and added as she got up from the table, "I must be going I have a few things I must attend to in the library."

A very Ravenclaw excuse, truthfully she could stand neither Chang nor Davies. Both were ignorant twats that ended up in Ravenclaw by sheer dumb luck. Well that last part may not be strictly the pair tried her nerves beyond all reason. She was just glad Edgecombe was not with them, as the three together were a nightmare. She hurried to the owlery her task firmly in mind.

When she arrived she saw Reg stringing a letter to a regal looking screech owl. He turned to greet her and she saw that he there were bags under his eyes that no doubt mirrored her own. Despite that he looked quite alert something she rather envied. Even after drinking copious amounts of coffee she still felt quite sluggish.

"Morning, Alma. I have already sent the necessary papers as well as my usual greeting to my parents." Reg stated.

"Good. I'm sending the rest now." Alma said as she tied her bundle of letters to a sturdy looking barn owl.

"Remember to meet me back in the library before dinner. And you must hurry." Reg said solemnly.

"Reg are you sure that—?" Alma started, but Regulus cut her off. He looked far more serious than she had ever seen him.

"This has to be done, for my safety, your safety, and the baby's safety. I will be inducted into his ranks as soon as I turn sixteen. That's just over a year away." Reg said firmly.

"Perhaps there is another way you do know occlumency I'm certain that you are more than capable of fooling him." Alma said.

"It's a risk, one I'm not willing to take. The dark lord is a master legilimens and only a master occlumens would be able to fool him. I have only been taught enough that I can keep some of the amateurs out." Regulus stated.

"If only things were different, you should be worrying about completing your OWLs and normal things. I shouldn't have been so irresponsible." Alma said sadly.

"Yes well even if your situation were different mine, sadly, wouldn't change. Perhaps this is all for the best." Reg said turning away from Alma. She watched sadly as he walked away knowing full well that after tonight she may never see him again. She walked from the owlery not paying much attention to where she was going. She was slightly surprised when she found herself in front of the aged wood door that led to her dormitory. She reached out and knocked once.

Seconds later the raven's beak opened and the familiar melodious voice asked, "At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. Of what do I speak?"

"Stars" Alma answered. Her mind focused on her star, which was on a collision course with a black hole named Voldemort. There was nothing she could do to help him and it was heartbreaking. If only he weren't so stubborn.

The door swung open and Alma climbed the stairs to the girl's seventh year dorms. She was relieved to see that it was empty. Her peers were no doubt in the library reviewing for their NEWTS which were still six months away. She went to her trunk and pulled out a thick black leather-clad album. She ran her hand over the cover smiling gently as it opened with her touch as she had charmed it to do. She flipped through several page. She stopped at a picture with a younger Alma smiling at a surly boy with hot pink hair. She was pulling him along by his arm while the boy tried to free himself from her grasp to no avail.

A rather innocuous first meeting but unforgettable nevertheless. Alma smiled reminiscently as she thought back to that day. It was a few days after the start of term and she had gotten into a minor tiff with her dorm mates. She left the room and took a walk to cool her head. That was when she first met Regulus Black the poor boy had been jinxed by his brother. She had laughed at first after all it was quite humorous seeing a boy sporting pink hair. Noting his distressed expression she had immediately dragged the boy to one of Hogwarts more secluded areas. Once they had some privacy she had quickly countered the charm, reverting his hair to its normal color. It turned out to be the start of a beautiful yet odd friendship. She did not mind that he was two years younger and in Slytherin and he mostly ignored her various quirks. A few weeks after their friendship began she met Reg's older brother. Her first meeting with Sirius Black had been, volatile at best. She had caught him about to curse Regulus to which she returned in kind. From that point forward she detested Sirius Black and friends on principal.

As the years passed she and Regulus shared many secrets and bonded over their cavalier siblings. Their friendship became stronger. Their friendship was for the most not public knowledge as both Alma and Regulus were fairly private people. Most of their time was spent in secluded parts of the castle where there was no fear of being overheard. They also studied in the library fairly often which led to the belief that Alma was Regulus' tutor. A rumor that neither bothered to discourage. While friendships between Ravenclaws and Slytherins weren't uncommon they were subject to much gossip. Neither Alma nor Regulus wanted to deal with the scrutiny of their peers so they let the tutoring rumors persist.

Alma found herself nursing a crush on her best friend in her fifth year. It was a ridiculous notion and for several reasons, first he was two years younger than her, two he was as straight as the headmaster, and three he was her best friend. She tried to divert these feelings a she knew they would only end in heartbreak, especially when she realized that Reg had his own case of unrequited love. So she tried to put her energies with getting Reg with his crush. It did not work. Somewhere along the way she found herself looking at the elder Black instead. Which led to her current situation, it would have been better if she had continued to pine after Reg.

Alma startled when she heard the door slam open and she watched as Gina Edgecombe ran in. Edgecombe opened her trunk and rummaged around a bit before pulling something out and running back out. Alma cast a quick tempus and was alarmed to see that it was a half hour till dinner. She had been so enraptured with her thoughts and memories she didn't realize how much time had passed. She needed to meet Regulus in the library. With a heavy heart, Alma found herself trudging towards the library. She was absolutely dreading what she was about to do. It was the one part of the plan that she had argued against most strenuously, but her pleas had been ignored.

"Hello Regulus" Alma said. She was in the library once again staring at the boy she was hopelessly in love with. She hadn't realized just how deep her feelings ran until after the Sirius Black fiasco. She had spent the entire time wishing it was the younger Black instead. And now as she looked at him she felt like her heart was breaking into a thousand little pieces.

"You haven't called me that since second year." Regulus remarked wryly.

"Yes, well I thought the situation called for some formality." Alma said. She attempted a grin but it felt more like a grimace.

"It doesn't really matter. Don't blame yourself I planned for this to happen anyway. It's what is best. Thank you for doing this" Regulus said.

"I'm sorry" Alma said. Her hand was shaking as she pulled her wand out and leveled it at Regulus.

"Do it" Regulus said. Staring at her wand with determination.

"Obliviate" Alma said softly.

* * *

**A/N:** My first intentional cliffhanger did I manage it all right?

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


End file.
